Coca Cola : History

Coca Cola

Founder: John Pemberton

Coca Cola History

Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coke was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century.

Coca Cola Trivia

1) Coke was created as a response to Prohibition in Atlanta in 1886

2) The first sales were at Jacob’s pharmacy in Atlanta

3) When launched it’s two key ingredients were cocaine (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) and caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut, leading to the name Coca Cola (the “K” in Kola was replaced with a “C” for marketing purposes)

4) The exact formula of Coke’s natural flavorings is a trade secret. The original copy of the formula is held in SunTrust Bank’s main vault in Atlanta. Its predecessor, the Trust Company, was the underwriter for the Coca Cola Company’s initial public offering in 1919.

5) On February 11, 2011 Ira Glass revealed on his PRI radio show, This American Life, that the secret formula to Coke had been uncovered in a 1979 newspaper. The formula found basically matched the formula found in Pemberton’s diary

6) The famous Coca Cola logo was created by John Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, in 1885. The typeface used is known as Spencerian script,

7) The Shape of the Coke Bottle is believed to be inspired by the Hobble Skirt as shown below: